Tripwire
Chris Hunter, Steve Cole
Tripwire
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Chris Hunter, Steve Cole
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Got you. The sight of the bomb hits Felix like a punch in the guts. With just twelve minutes left on the clock, every second counts — will he defuse the bomb before it’s too late?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade action-adventure follows Felix Smith, who joins a secret youth agency specializing in bomb disposal after a terrorist attack claims his father's life. The story contains moderate suspense and themes of loss and bravery, suitable for readers aged 9-12. Parents should note the presence of terrorism and danger, but the content is handled in a way appropriate for middle-grade readers.
Why we rated Tripwire 11ME
Tripwire is written at a Level 6 reading level across 258 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Tripwire works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Tripwire as 11ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Tripwire explores adventure, action & adventure, family, juvenile fiction, and survival — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, action & adventure, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781448101153
- Pages
- 258
- Publisher
- Random House
- Published
- 2012-04-24
- Type
- Fiction